Bearing and seal construction



Dec. 8,1942. G. A ovla'RsTRoMfrm Y 2,304,198

Y BEAniNG AND SEAL Cous'rnuc'rlou original vFiled Aug. 1e, 19:59

I'NYENTORS Gustave A- Ovevslrom Conrad Qvcvst-um Geolsq Oueytyurn,

Uff, l

Patented Dec. 1942 BEARING AND SEAL CONSTRUCTION Gustave A, Overstrom, Eagle Rock, Conrad Overstrom, Pasadena, and George Overstrom, Eagle Rock, Calif.

Original application August 1s, 1939, serial No.

290,726. Divided and this application December 28, 19 40,|Serial No. 372,068

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in power drive vibrating screens of the type employed for sorting, grading and separating materials, including the treatment of rotary mud.

This invention is concerned with improvements in the construction and mounting of the vibrating unit when it is of the type which ismounted dil rectly upon the screen box so as to move with it and is essentiallya rotatable unbalanced weight.

An object of this invention is the provision of an improved form of mounting by means of which the vibrating unit may be quickly and easily mounted on the screen box and removed therefrom and is adapted for end to end reversal so that it may be driven from either the left or the right hand side of the screen.

A further object of the invention is the provision in a mounting of this type of means for insuring or locking the unit against undesired rotational movement and at the same time `constructed and arranged to facilitate the removal thereof and angular adjustment when desired.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a housed vibrating unit and the mounting so that oil may be used for the lubrication thereof which may be easily removed for replace'- ment and cleaning and the quantity of which may be readily gauged when relling.

Among the other objects of this invention is the provision of an'improved form of sealing means 1939, now Patent No. 2,241,476 for Vibratory screen.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a vertical, transverse, cross-sectional view through a screen box in accordance with this invention, taken through theklongitudinal axis of the vibrator unit;

Figure 2 is a left hand end elevational view of the vibrating unit and its mounting;

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal-sectional view of the drive end of the Vibrating unit, the

shaft being held from endwise movement/ at this` end only;

Figure 4 is a further enlarged, detailed, longitudinal-sectional View at the same lend; and

(Cl. S-187.1)

Figure 5 is a longitudinal-sectional view of a vibrating unit in which the shaft is held from endwise movement only at the closed end of the housing.

As is notorious, power driven vibratory screens of the type disclosed herein and to which this invention refers when in use in the field are sub- Jected to extremely destructive conditions. By way of example, when screens of this type are employed in the treatment ci rotary mud it is apparent that the surface thereof becomes coated with the mud, causing the removable parts to become rusted and otherwise undesirably secured' together. In the case of the treatment cf dry materials it is apparent that great quantities of abrasive dust settle on the parts, which is not only destructive thereof but shortens the life of the' structure if it gets between the removable parts. An object of this invention is to provide a vibrating unit of the type mounted onv the screen box which may be readily mounted in place, removed for repair or reversal, and otherwise manipulated for maintenance purposes with ease, notwithstanding its condition resulting from use in the field.

It is common practice to lubricate devices of this type with a heavy grease which cannot be `removed and replaced readily without completely disassembling the vibrating unit. Furthermore, no sure provision is lmade by means of which it can be determined when the proper amount of grease has been forced in to the housing. The result is that it is common practice to employ a powerful grease-gun with which grease is forced into the casing until it oozes out of the labyrinth seals. The use of grease is disadvantageous for other reasons, such as in cold weather `it is hard to get units of this type started, and in hot weather the grease tends to fbe beaten into a froth. In accordance with the construction of this invention, oil may be employed which can be easily removed and replaced, as will be explained later, -by reason of the construction devised, and when replaced can be replaced in just the right amount.

Other objects .of the invention include improved methods of sealing the vibratory unit housing andfor holding the bearing members in v place.

Referring to the drawing1 a screen box is shown in transverse cross-section and is illustrated as including a pair of side walls I, con-v' nected by means of cross-braces 2 secured theretok in any suitable manner and provided with longitudinally extending rails 3 for reinforcing tending throughout the length f.. the collars.'A

'I'hese collars are provided with one or more holes, as shown, by means oi' which nuts and bolts 8 may be employed i'or locking the tubular housing III therein when the ends thereof lie in the collars. One of the lugs, such as the lug 6, on each collar is provided with a central niJ threaded opening 9 into which one of the bolts 8 may be screwed to engage the opposite ear for expanding the split collar slightlyv to break it loose from the housing I when it is desired to remove the housing for any purpose or Yangularly adjust it. For example, it is frequently necessary to reverse the vibratory unit end for end so as to provide for either left hand drive, as shown, or right hand drive' when reversed. This construction facilitates these operations and is particularly effective in the field as distinguished from the structures now commonly used Where the tubular housing I0 is permanently se-v cured to the brackets and the brackets are bolted to the screen box so that such a reversal involves a considerable operation.

.As shown in AFigure 1, the tubular housing I0 is counterbored to provide a shoulder against which a ring II is welded to provide a seat for thev bearing comprising the outer race I2 and the inner race I3. lThe other end of the housing is counterbored and has iltted therein the outer race I5 for the bearlngat that end so that it is free to move axially at all times. An unbalanced rotary shaft I9 has mounted thereon the inner races I3 and I6 of the bearings which are respectively locked thereon by means of the nuts I4 and I1. The right hand end of the housing is closed by means of a threaded cover plate IB which is sealed against the end of the housing in the same Way as is the cover plate which is screwed into the other end of the housing. This latter cover plate isA shown in greater detail in Fgures Band 4 and the manner in which the sealing is eiected for both ends Will be described in connection therewith. The shaft I3, as shownin Figure l, is provided with a collar 2I held thereon by a set screw as shown and constructed to form a telescoping lit with the complementarily shaped outer face of the cover 20 to yform a labyrinth which aids in keeping dust out of the housing. The end 2210i the shaft is adapted to receive a driving pulley or other operating device. The outer face of the end covers I8 and 2I are provided with a series of radial notches 23 which are adapted to receive a latch 24 which may be locked by means of a nut 25. The tubular housing I0 is provided with a threaded aperture which is closed by means of a plug 34 which is normally in the full line position shown in Figure l.

When it is desired to empty the oil from the housing the collars 5 are loosened and expanded by a bolt 8, as previously explained, when necessary so that the housing may be readily rotated in the collar after the latches 24 have been withdrawn from the notches 23. The housing I0 is then rotated so that the plugged opening is in the dotted position, after which the plug is re- In order to eiect a good seal between the end covers and the housings, each end cover is provided with a flanged edge, see Figure 4, the face of which is provided with a sharp annular ridge 3| opposed to a similar ridge 29 formed on the ends of the housing. Interposed between these is a lwasher 30 of suitable material, such as libre.

which is squeezed between these ridges when the end cover is :drawn up tight. In the construction illustrated in Figure 4 the inner terminal end of the end cover is also provided with an annular ridge, shown by the reference numeral 28, which engages the adjacent sides of the outer bearing race I2. These parts are so proportioned that just before the ridge 2MB engages the bearing race the washer 30 isl contacted by the ridges 29 and 3|. As the end cover is drawn up to tightly engage the bearing race the washer 30 is tightly gripped between the ridges, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 4. As shown particularly in Figure 3, where the end of the unbalanced shaft I9 passes through the end cover 20, a sealing ring 26 of felt or other suitable mate'rial is positioned in a groove so as to bear on the shaft and serve to prevent the entry of dustand the escape of oil. A series of drainage holes 21 are provided so that as the absorbent ring 26 becomes saturated with oil the excess can drip vback intol the housing, minimizing its tendency to escape from it.

In the construction shown in Figure 1, the end cover I8, while sealed against the end of the housing I Il, as explained in connection with the other end cover, does not have its inner terminal end engaging the adjacent bearing. This bearing is secured in the housing in any suitable way as by means of a push fit. However, when desired, the construction at the left hand end maybe employed at the. right hand end as employed in Figure 5. In this case a ring 33 is secured against a shoulder in the housing and the outer race I5 of the right handbearing is held against it by means of the annular ridge 32 formed on the inner end of the right hand end cover I8. In this case the parts are proportioned as before to effect the desired functions, and room for shaft expansion or contraction is then provided for at y opposite end.

Aparticular advantage of the construction as shown in Figure 3, where a sharp ridge in the end cover seals against the outer race of the bearing, is found in the fact that the ridge contact will flatten to some extent against the race, always assuring a perfect oil seal at the libre gasket. Y

It is, of course, apparent that the rings II and 33 can -be omitted when desired and a thicker tubular housing counterbored to form shoulders against which the end covers can force the outer races of the bearings to lock them in place.

By means of the constructions at the ends of the housing as explained it is possible to practically ensure against the seepage of oil from the housing and the entry of dust thereinto.

From the above description it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that the various details of construction disclosed herein as comprisf ing this invention may be 'varied without de- Y parture from the novel ideas of this invention. We do not, therefore. desire to be limited tothe specific formsillustrated in the drawing, butv rather to the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is: In a vibratory unit for screening apparatus. the combination including a tubular housing open at at least one end, a shoulder formed in the vhousing near the openend, a bearing member lying against said shoulder.- a cover'member for the open end of the housing having an annular 1 to form a seal, the annular ridge on the inner end of the cover member engaging' the bearingto lock itl-in place and form a;4 seal at the line of contact therebetween.

GUsTAvE A. ovERs'rRoM. coNRAD ovERs'moM. GEQRGE ovmas'raou.

-ridge on its inner end and a aange at its outer 

